Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSLonger ambulance journeys increase death risk
Changes to acute hospital services that result in longer ambulance journeys may lead to an increase in patient mortality rates, warn UK study authors.
According to the research conducted at Sheffield University, the risk of patient mortality increases by 2% for every additional kilometre spent in an ambulance.
Researchers assessed outcomes of life-threatening category A ambulance calls from services in Berkshire, Derbyshire, Essex and West Midlands between 1997 and 2001.
They warn that closing accident and emergency unites could result in 'an increased risk of death for a small number of patients with life-threatening emergencies'.
In particular, patients in anaphylactic shock andthose who are choking orhave nearly drowned suffer because of increased travel distances, said the authors.
Emergency Medicine Journal (2007) 24: 665-668
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